


To Belong

by ihadnotyetlived



Category: Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Anxiety, Car Accident TW, Child Abuse, Depression, Emotional Abuse, High School AU, Homophobia, Medda is a queen, Modern AU, Panic Attacks, SO, Sibling Death, Swearing, They're artsy kids, They're teens, This is my third time typing all of this bc I fucked it up both times, Transphobia, black!Katherine, okay, these poor kids deserve better, trans!race, uh snyder is yucky, yay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-23
Updated: 2019-05-19
Packaged: 2019-06-14 20:26:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 14,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15396756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ihadnotyetlived/pseuds/ihadnotyetlived
Summary: A modern newsies AU about finding yourself, and finding friends along the way





	1. Katherine

Katherine stared at the ceiling as her alarm blared. She’d hardly gotten any sleep, and it felt as if a weight was on her chest. 

She was sad, like always, but like always, she couldn’t show it. 

Hitting the off button, she grumbled and rolled out of bed. It was the first day of Junior year, yet she wasn’t excited. She wasn’t excited for anything really. Summer brought nothing but loneliness and boredom, and school brought nothing but loneliness and work. 

She stumbled her way to her bathroom, the bright light burning her eyes, and looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was a wreck and her eyes were puffy from crying all night. Sighing, she picked up the bottle of water and sprayed it on her hair, working her fingers through her curls. She splashed cold water on her face and put on her makeup for the day. She got dressed and headed downstairs. 

Her house was huge. No one would expect anything less from being the daughter of Pulitzer, one of the most influential businessmen in New York. Her father had offered to take her to school, but she preferred to go by herself. It gave her more time to think. She skipped on breakfast and headed outside the door without even saying good morning.

Her walk to school would be about three hours, so she opted to take the train. She walked out of her gate and then walked about a mile down the street. Thank goodness she went to school in Manhattan or else everyone would know that she was Pulitzer's daughter. Unfortunately, the school was very prestigious and she often had trouble keeping up with all her classes and work.

She arrived at school about forty minutes after she left home. She moved into the currently empty cafeteria and pulled out her schedule.   
1st Period A- AP Calculus   
1st Period B- AP Engineering  
2nd Period A- AP US History  
2nd Period B- AP European History  
3rd Period A_B-Honors Chemistry   
4th Period A_B- Lunch  
5th Period A- AP Gov  
5th Period B- AP Human Geography   
6th Period A- AP English Language   
6th Period B- Journalism  
7th Period A- Theatre   
7th Period B- Free Period

Katherine groaned upon seeing this. At least she had a few classes she enjoyed, but most of this was torture. She remembered her father fought and pushed to make sure she didn’t take theatre but alas, there was nothing that could be done to remove it from her schedule. 

She watched as the cafeteria began to fill with students. Tables filled with kids and their friends as Katherine stayed alone at her table in the corner. She should be used to this feeling. She’s had no friends since Kindergarten and friendship wasn’t something about to start now.

Sighing, she popped in her earbuds to drown out the laughter and chatter of the cafeteria. She unlocked her phone and checked the time. 7:50 am. Class started in ten minutes and she knew she’d get an earful from her father if she was late. She stood up and pushed her way through the cafeteria while keeping her head down. Nobody paid any attention to her anyways so she didn’t know why she was so focused on keeping her head down.

She exited the Cafeteria and entered the also crowded hallway. Maybe it was her fault since she wasn’t looking. Maybe it was his fault since he was running, but this mistake would be the best one she ever made.

“Ow!” She cried as she collided with someone in the hallway. As her books flew out of her hands and she toppled to the ground, she could feel people’s eyes on her. The hallway had gone silent. She’d landed on her ass of course, so she hid her face in her hands.

“Hey! Ain’t nothin’ ta see here. Can I help ya up?”

She peeked from her hands and saw a boy in worn jeans and a t shirt leaning forward with an outstretched hand and a small grin. She took it, stood up and brushed herself off. She looked around and noticed that nobody was looking at her anymore and the chatter had resumed.

“You alright there?” The boy asked.

Katherine was currently quite irritated so she only nodded her head. He bent over and picked up her books and her phone which slid across the hallway. “Thanks,” she mumbled as he handed them to her. 

He smiled at her and Katherine’s stomach did backflips. “Name’s Jack Kelly.” 

“Katherine...Plumber,” She answered hesitantly using her byline. Jack raised his eyebrow at the hesitation. “Are you new here? I’ve never seen you before?”

“Nah,” He answered offering no further explanation. 

“Okay.” Katherine said, unsure of what else to say. 

“Where ya headed?” 

“AP Calculus. You?”

“Oh a smart girl! I’m headed to art.” 

“You draw?”

“Yeah.”

They began to walk down the hallway towards Katherine’s class.

“So,” he asked. “What period do ya have lunch?”

“4th.”

“Oh cool, me too!” He exclaimed. “Do ya have AP English?”

“Yeah, with Pulitzer 6th period A.” She answered. 

“Unfortunately, me too. But at least most of my friends are in that class. Speaking of those devils…” He sped up his pace and walked up to a group of kids. “Conlon, stop groping up on Racetrack!” 

A short, buff kid in a red shirt with his back against a locker stuck his middle finger up at Jack. He continued to makeout with a blonde curly haired kid who Katherine guessed was Racetrack.

Jack waited patiently until they pulled away. “Everyone, this is Katherine Plumber.” He said gesturing to Katherine who waved awkwardly.

“Jack’s got a girl!” One kid exclaimed and Katherine turned red.

“Shut up Romeo she ain’t my girl we just met.” 

A kid with a crutch moved forward. “Hey I’m Charlie but folks call me Crutchie. Nice ta meet ya.” Katherine noticed that they all had heavy accents. 

She was beginning to feel awkward when the five minute bell rang. “Oh, I’ve gotta go. Can’t be late.” She left hearing a chorus of “bye Katherine” and “see ya later.”

Jack reached out so shake her hand. “Se ya at lunch Plumber,” She took his hand and shook it. She was going to be late, why didn’t she want to let go? He took his hand out of hers and smiled again. Katherine’s heart fluttered before she turned and walked down the hall to her class. Her hand was still warm.

She didn’t think much of the interaction throughout the day, she had to focus. She got to first period as soon as the announcements came on. “Good morning and welcome back. This is your principal Pulitzer speaking. Here are some reminders for the beginning of the school year…”

Another reason school was awful? Her father was the Principal. No matter what, she couldn’t escape him. 

Once the announcements went off, class began. Thankfully she asked guidance to change her name in the system from Pulitzer to Plumber. Calculus was as confusing as ever. Math was never her strong suit, but her father would be damned if she wasn’t Valedictorian. She kept wondering what kind of things Jack would draw during art.

US history was more her thing. It was easy for her to understand and she found it interesting enough to actually pay attention. She couldn’t help but think about the warmth of his hands.

Thankfully, she was able to talk her father into letting her take honors chemistry instead of AP. She wondered why her heart had fluttered so when he smiled at her.

By the time lunch came around, Katherine’s hand had cramped from taking so many notes and her backpack was heavy with textbooks. Since she had no friends, she went to the library for lunch and began her homework for the classes she already had. She could’ve gone to lunch with Jack and the others, but she didn’t want him to distract her more than he already was today.

5th period was AP gov, a class she enjoyed quite a bit. The desks were in groups of three and she sat in a seat right in the middle of the classroom, a place where no one would want to sit because it’s right in the line of the teachers view and the air vent was directly over the seat. So she was shocked when a girl and a boy came over to sit with her. 

They looked alike, both with their brownish hair and thin, long noses. They sat and the girl spoke. “Hey, I’m Sarah. This is my twin brother David.” David gave a small smile.

“Hi, I’m Katherine.” 

“Oh, I know.” Sarah said. 

Katherine didn’t get a chance to question her because the teacher walked into the room and demanded silence. 

Once class ended, Katherine didn’t wait up for Sarah or David. She hurried along to her next class, English. With her father. Huffing, she turned into the classroom. It was empty except for a few kids. Knowing her father she looked up at the television screen. Of course a seating chart was posted. Her seat was near the back, which she thought was odd. Maybe her father didn’t want to look at her too long everyday. 

She moved to the back of the room and moved to her desk. 

“Hey,” the kid next to her said. 

“Hi,” Katherine responded. 

“I’m Specs.” Katherine looked at him in confusion. “Well, people call me Specs because ya know…” He trailed off gesturing to his glasses.

“I’m Katherine.” She responded taking her laptop and notebook out of her backpack. 

“Specs!” Katherine turned to see a redhead followed by a blonde kid (Racetrack was it? They all had odd names) burst into the room.

“Hey buddy! Why didn’t ya tell me ya had this class?” 

“Ah I didn’t even know until after lunch!”

“Albert, your seat is over there,” Specs said pointing to the opposite side of the room.  
“Ugh, assigned seats? Wouldn’t expect anything else from good ‘ol Pulitzer.” The redhead walked over to his seat and made a face. “Why am I so close to the trash can?”

“Yer goin’ home!” Racetrack shouted.

“Literally shut the fuck up,” Albert retorted. Racetrack stuck his tongue out and went to find his seat. It was directly in the middle of the room. 

David and Sarah walked through the door next, bickering. 

“You said you’d pick Les up today!

“Sarah, I told you I have Academic Team tryouts!” 

“And you think I don’t have stuff to do to?”

“Oh, what could you possibly have to do?” The two plopped down in the seats in front of Specs and Katherine and continued arguing. 

“I have dance team! Not at school, but all the way in Brooklyn!” 

“Did someone say Brooklyn?” Everyone in the room turned to see a short buff kid walk in the room (Spot, was it?). 

“Literally,” Albert said. “Shut the fuck up.” 

David and Sarah ignored him and continued to bicker. Katherine tuned it out and decided to look at some of the other kids in the room. One had a slingshot in his back pocket. Another had poured out a collection of buttons on his desk and began to sort them. The seats filled up one by one and soon they were all full, except for a seat covered with dust in the very back of the room. Katherine figured that Jack had lied or dropped the class until he walked into the room.

“Jackie!” Multiple people shouted. 

“That’s my name, don’ wear it out.” He said grinning. 

God, he was so arrogant and cocky and handsome-

“Good afternoon students.” The classrooms atmosphere went from happy and excited to quiet and ridged. “Mr. Kelly, what are you doing in my classroom?” Her father asked.

“Well hello, nice ta see ya again too. How was your summer?” Katherine rolled her eyes. 

“Mr. Kelly, answer the question.” He said dropping his things on his desk.

“Okay, alrigh’.” He said in mock defeat. “Hate ta tell ya, but I’m in this class.” 

Pulitzer shook his head and began thumbing through his teacher’s textbook. “Not possible.” Katherine furrowed her brow and glanced at Specs who just shrugged his shoulders. What was he implying? Jack handed him his schedule and he looked over it for a moment before sighing and pulling up the desk in the back right next to Katherine. Great.

“Okay, let’s get started. I’m passing out textbooks that will help you prep for the AP exam in May.” He handed everyone in the front row a stack of textbooks and had them pass it back. “Work on it as I tell you. I will tolerate working ahead,” he said with a pointed look at Katherine, “But I will not tolerate falling behind.” 

“Now,” He looked around the group taking in every face. “It seems we have an interesting group here. We’ll see how long this lasts.” The remark got multiple scoffs from the class. “Our first lesson is on rhetoric and how to use it. Open up the textbook to page 7, read the article. I want a 3 page paper, double spaced, on what you learned from this article. Due next class. You have the rest of today to work.” With that, he sat down in front of his desk and began to write. Probably something for his business. 

Everyone began their work; except for Jack Kelly of course. Katherine felt his eyes on her and saw his pencil moving out of the corner of her eye. 

“What are you doing?” She whispered. 

“Shh people are working!” He replied covering his paper.

Katherine turned away from him, now frustrated. Why couldn’t he just do his work like the rest of the kids?

“Mr. Kelly and Miss. Plumber,” Katherine didn’t miss the mocking tone on her name. “Please stop talking.” Embarrassed, Katherine looked down at her work and didn’t look up again. 

After what felt like an eternity, the bell rang and they were dismissed. They shuffled out of the room and into the loud hallway. 

“Hey Plumber, what class do ya have next?” 

“I’m not talking to you,” Katherine said continuing down the hallway. 

Jack frowned. “Why not?”

“Because,” Katherine said turning sharply on her heel. “You got me into trouble in class today.” Maybe it was trivial to him, but he didn’t know that Pulitzer was her father. She was sure to hear an earful from him later. Jack’s friends walked around them, staring.

“Trouble?” Jack asked incredulously. “Ya call that, trouble? Plumber, something tells me that ya don’t know what trouble is.” 

Katherine inhaled sharply and continued on her way. Unfortunately, Jack followed. Why wouldn’t he just go away?

“What’s your next class, Plumber?” 

“Theatre,” Katherine mumbled hoping that just maybe that would make him turn and leave.

“Oh cool me too!” Shit. “A lot of my friends are in this class too. Even the younger ones. Speaking of which…” He ran ahead of her, a direct comparison to this morning. “Elmer! Romeo! Crutchie! Smalls! How are you underclassmen doin’?” 

“Jackie! I haven’t seen ya all day!”

“Oh hey Jack! This is Sarah and Davey.”

“I know I’ve met ‘em already.”

Katherine felt a pang of jealousy in her chest. This impossible boy had friends and she didn’t. Keeping her head down, Katherine walked past them as discreetly as possible. The group got quieter as she walked past. Please don’t do that, Katherine thought as tears pricked in her eyes. She pushed the sadness down like she always did and kept going. 

“Hey.” Katherine didn’t look up. Whoever was beside her kept walking with her through the hallway. “Hey.” The person tried again. 

“What?” Katherine asked, still not looking up. 

“You okay?”

“Yep. Fine.”

“You don’t seem fine.” 

Katherine looked up and saw that Sarah was walking beside her. She sighed. “Yep. Fine.” The two walked in silence out the door and into the school yard. Theatre class was in a separate building altogether. Really went to show how much her father cared about the theatre department. 

Katherine wished she was fine. In all honesty, she wanted to curl up and hide. It was quiet in the schoolyard and Katherine took in the fresh air and quiet. She was probably late at this point, but it was almost impossible not to be late since she had to walk all the way across the school.

Finally Katherine reached the building. Sarah held the door open for her and Katherine thanked her. She stepped in and wanted to go right back outside. It was hot. The air must’ve been broken or something. 

The teacher was at her desk reading a book. She didn’t look up when they entered. Katherine didn’t feel like having everyone’s eyes on her all the time, so she took a seat in the very back of the room. Sarah sat in front of her. It was quiet for a moment until Jack Kelly and his friends came bursting through the door.

“Afternoon, Miss. Medda!” He said with his thick accent.

“Jack Kelly!” Miss. Medda exclaimed putting down her book and opening her arms. “How you been keeping yourself kid?” 

“Eh.” Jack responded before moving towards the back of the classroom. Please don’t sit near me. Katherine thought. Of course, he did. He sat right on her left, just like english class. 

Most of the kids in her english class were in her theatre class. The class had over fifteen people, and they were all friends. Katherine shuffled uncomfortably in her seat.

“Good afternoon! Welcome to theatre class! Now the door in the back of the room leads to the auditorium. We’ll be in there when we start working on our end of year production. We’re still looking for a production to do, so if you know any don’t hesitate to let me know.”

“Today however, we’re going to start with some team building exercises. You all are my only theatre class and I need you to be thick as thieves.”

“The first exercise will be the the trust fall. You’ll be working with the person next to you.” Of course. Sighing, Katherine stood up. 

“Let’s get this over with.” 

“Don’t sound so excited, Plumber.” 

“You go first. I don’t trust you.” 

“Oh! You just failed the exercise!”

Katherine rolled her eyes and held out her arms. “Shut up and fall.” Jack did it with no problem, and Katherine caught him no problem. 

“You’s pretty strong,” He commented.

“Thanks.” Katherine turned and let herself fall. To her surprise, he caught her. Something jumped in Katherine’s heart but she ignored it. 

“See, I wouldn’t drop ya.” He said helping her stand. The class continued like this, doing various trust and team building exercises until the bell rang. Jack Kelly wasn’t so bad, Katherine figured. 

“Before you go!” Medda said. “If you have a free period tomorrow this period I want you to come by here so we can make sure our production is worthy enough for them to fund us. Dismissed. Have a wonderful day!” 

Katherine tried to hurry out of the classroom, but she didn’t move fast enough. “Hey Plumber!” She could’ve kept walking, but she didn’t. Instead she stopped and waited. “I uh wanted to apologize for gettin’ ya in trouble earlier.”

“Apology accepted,” Katherine said looking up at him. 

“I can walk ya home if ya want?”

Katherine tensed. “No, it’s okay. I’m not going straight home anyways. I’m going to-”

“Jocibi’s?”

Katherine blinked in shock. “How did you know?”

“I see ya around.”

“Oh.” Katherine opened her mouth to say something else when David and Sarah burst through the classroom door. 

“Sarah, please pick him up! I can’t miss this tryout.”

“David! I have competition soon! I can’t miss practice!”

“Hey we can pick ‘im up if ya want.” All eyes turned to Jack. Did he just volunteer her to go pick up Sarah and David’s brother with him?

“We don’t even know y-” Davey started to say but was cut off by Sarah.

“That would be great! Thank you...Jack, was it? Here let’s exchange numbers…” The only numbers Katherine had ever had in her phone were her fathers, Darcy who was a friend she hardly talked to anymore, her mother who left her a few years ago, and Lucy. Her sister Lucy. Even though she was gone, Katherine didn’t have the heart to delete her number. But just like that, she had three more numbers in her phone. 

“Cool. Katherine I’ll text you the school’s address and my home address and you can drop him off there. Anyways I’ve gotta run, thanks!” Sarah turned and literally ran out the door.

“Uh, I’ve gotta go too. Thanks, I guess.”

Then it was just Jack and Katherine. “Shall we go?” Jack asked. Katherine shrugged and they went on their way.   
The hallway was absurdly crowded but they pushed their way through. “Hang on,” Jack said reaching his group of friends. “Racer, where ya headed?”

“Track tryouts and then goin’ out with Spotty.” 

“Okay don’t stay out too long. Be home before 7:30.” Race nodded to confirm. “Romeo, Elmer, Smalls, Crutchie? Where are you all headed?” 

“A library somewhere I guess.” Crutchie answered.

“Okay, same goes for you. Home before 7:30.” Katherine furrowed her brow. Were they all related? 

“Gotcha. Where ya goin’ Jacke?” Did he turn red at the question?

“Uh goin’ to pick up Davey and Sarah’s little brother an’ then the gym.”

“Oh okay.” That was the end of the conversation and Jack and Katherine turned away to continue on their way. Unfortunately they turned right into Katherine’s father. 

“What’s going on here?” He demanded glaring at Race and Spot’s intertwined hands. “Don’t you all have places to go?” 

“Yep, we were just leavin’!” Spot said wrapping his arm around Race’s shoulder and walking off in the direction of the track. The rest of the group dispersed, but Katherine stood still, staring at the ground. She couldn’t breathe. 

“Well?” Pulitzer asked, forcefully. 

“Plumber?” Jack asked nudging her shoulder.

Katherine’s heart felt like it was going to jump out of her throat. “Yep. On my way. Have a great day.” She moved around her father wishing she could disappear into the crowd. She heard Jack’s footsteps behind her and felt her father's eyes on her back. Everything around her was blurry. Maybe because she was about to cry. She didn’t breathe until they reached the schoolyard. She collapsed on the bench outside of the school.

“Hey, Plumber you okay?” Katherine didn’t answer instead focusing on her breathing. When she finally got her breath she stood up but almost toppled over. Jack reached out and grabbed her hips, helping to steady her. “See, I told ya I got ya.” 

Katherine’s stomach did backflips and her heart fluttered. She wanted him to let go, to push him away but she didn’t. “Thanks,” she said. Jack finally removed his hands from her hips and they continued on their way. They walked to the elementary school in silence. When they got there, Jack walked up to a teacher waiting outside and conversed with her. Soon, he walked back with a kid who seemed to be talking his ear off. They reached Katherine and the kid was talking a mile a minute. 

“So Davey sent ya huh? Is this Katherine? Hi I’m Les…” Katherine unintentionaly tuned him out. They walked the few minutes to the Jacobs house as Les chattered away. They reached the door and Katherine knocked. A stressed looking tall woman with brown hair answered. She looked almost exactly like Davey and Sarah. 

“Hello, who are you?”

“I’m Katherine and this is Jack. We’re here to drop off Les.” She said gesturing to each of them respectively.

“We’re friends of Davey and Sarah,” Jack added. Katherine looked down at her shoes. 

“Oh! Thank you so much! Would you like to come in for a bite to eat?”

“Nah it’s alright. Thank you Miss. Jacobs.”

“Of course dear.” She smiled warmly at them. “Les. Homework. Now.”

“No fair!” Les pouted as she shut the door.

“Alrigh, well that’s that.” Jack said as they walked down the apartment stairs. “Ya still wanna go to Jacobi’s or…?”

“No. I think I’m gonna head home.”

“Oh okay. I could walk ya-”

“No!” Katherine practically shouted. “I mean, no thanks. It’s fine. Really.”

“Oh. Okay. Bye, see ya tomorrow.” Katherine waved and went on her way. Her phone buzzed and she saw a million missed messages from her father. She shoved her phone in her pocket as it continued to buzz. 

Katherine tried to walk through the front door stealthily, but her father was already there perched on the too perfect couch, sipping a cup of too perfect tea, out of a too perfect mug. “Katherine. We need to talk.” He patted the spot on the couch next to him. Katherine took a deep breath and sat down. 

“Yes?”

“Why were you talking to those rats today?” 

The question shocked Katherine. Her father was the principal of a school? Why would he trash on other students? “What do you mean?” She asked.

“Katherine don’t play dumb with me!” Katherine recoiled a bit at his tone. 

“He ran into me in the hallway earlier and he tried to apologize in class.” Katherine lied. 

“Okay, so why were you talking to him after school? Hm?” 

“He was trying to apologize for getting me into trouble.” Katherine and her father stared each other down for a bit until he finally gave in. 

“Okay. Just know that I don’t condone the lifestyles and behaviors of that group. They’re loud and rowdy and they insist on shoving everything in your face. Like those two boys today. Holding hands!?” Katherine stared down at her lap. “I don’t want to see you around them ever again. Okay?” He said. “Okay?” He said more forcefully once Katherine didn’t respond. 

“Okay,” She said dryly. Her father smiled satisfied with her and picked up his paper, dismissing her. She got upstairs to her room without bursting into tears, which was an achievement. Even though she knew it, it hurt to hear her father speak like that. She’d always known that she liked boys and girls but her father considered it unnatural and an abomination. 

Sighing, Katherine sat at her desk and took her phone out of her pocket. She had a few texts from the others.

Davey: Hey thanks again for picking up Les. Maybe we should grab coffee one day so we’re not complete strangers.   
Katherine: Yeah that would be cool and no problem!

Sarah: Hey do u like that Jack kid?  
Katherine: I mean he’s cool and all I guess???  
Sarah: Ok

Jack: See ya tomorrow <3

Katherine had to smile at that. He texted just like he spoke, and that was quite adorable. Katherine noticed that he always had a pencil in his pocket, but she didn’t know why. She noticed that his hands were rough and calloused, but surprisingly gentle. And they were very warm. The thought of that interaction made Katherine smile.

Katherine put her face in her hands, frustrated. What was Jack Kelly doing to her?


	2. Jack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw child abuse and panic attacks (why can't I just let them be happy)

Jack watched her hurry off into the busy, crowded city streets. He watched until her curly hair had disappeared among the crowd. She was really something. Jack pulled out his phone and opened up her contact. “See ya tomorrow <3” he typed out. He smiled at the thought.

Turning down the street, he popped in his earbuds. He was lost in a world of music and color. In every word, he saw her eyes. In every beat he felt the warmth of her hands. In every melody he heard her voice. God, he could paint her. If only he only had the supplies. Maybe he’d do that for his art project. 

Reaching the gym, he changed into workout clothes, avoiding looking at himself in the mirror. During his workout, he forgot about Katherine for a little while. He needed to focus on being strong. Strong enough to be a protector. 

An hour later, when he was on his way home, thoughts of Katherine came flooding back into his mind. The drawing he did in English class couldn’t do her beauty justice. It caused her to be mad at him for a while too. Jack chuckled remembering her fiery spirit.

His smile faded once he reached home. Well, it wasn’t quite home. Well, home was in the name “Snyder’s Home For Orphaned Teenagers.” Nothing would ever make this “home” for Jack however. His heart sped up as he opened the rusty front door. He held his breath until he saw Specs cooking dinner in the Kitchen. Snyder-the man who ran the home-would never cook unless guests were coming over, which was rare. So usually they made their own food, if there was any. 

“He ain’t home yet?” He asked Specs, causing him to jump at the sound of his voice.

“No,” Specs answered as he continued to cook. Jack relaxed a little as he made his way upstairs. He walked into the large room they all shared and plopped down on his bed. He opened his backpack and pulled out his homework. If he was ever getting out of here, he needed to work hard.

His work was interrupted by his phone buzzing. He picked up his phone and was shocked to see a text from Katherine:

Katherine: Hey did you start the english yet

Jack chuckled, and responded.

Jack: Nah I ain’t got a computer  
Katherine: Oh you could borrow mine if you want tomorrow  
Jack: Yea that’d be great! After school, Jacobi’s?  
Katherine: Yep sounds good  
Jack: Hey can ya help me with calc  
Katherine: You take calc??  
Jack: Yea just not AP  
Help pls  
Katherine: uhhh idk how  
Jack: ft?

She didn’t text back or anything. Jack sighed putting his phone down until he heard the ringtone. It was her. 

“Hey,” he said answering the call.

“Hey,” she responded awkwardly. They sat in silence for a few moments until Katherine began talking. She walked him through several problems, cheering him on whenever he got one right. This was the most he’d seen her smile this whole day. Eventually, they strayed away from schoolwork and began to just talk. 

“So what did ya do over the summer?” He asked.

“Nothing really. Just summer work. You?”

“Work,” Jack said. Since nobody really came to check on them in the summer, Snyder really neglected them. The older kids took it upon themselves to find work. Jack worked three jobs this summer. He wasn’t really complaining. It kept his brothers and sister fed and kept him out of the house. 

They moved onto other topics and Jack learned that she wanted to be a writer and go to Columbia University. He told Katherine about his dreams of moving to Santa Fe, away from all the hustle and bustle of the city. “Hang on,” he told Katherine checking the time. It was 7:20 and he had to make sure the boys were home. He did a headcount. Smalls had arrived about an hour ago and she was on Spec’s bed doing her homework. Crutchie sat on the only top bunk in the room (it made it harder for Snyder to get to him) reading a book. Albert, Elmer, Finch, Mush, Buttons, Specs and Henry sat in various spaces on the floor doing homework. Race had just walked into their room. Where was Romeo? 

“Hey Al, could ya look for Romeo?”

“Yeah sure.” Albert said standing up and leaving the room. Jack turned back to Katherine.

“Are you all related?” Katherine asked, spotting some of the boys in the background. 

“Somewhat,” Jack answered. “You got any siblings?”

Katherine looked down. “I uh, had a sister. She’s dead now.”

Jack’s heart broke. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean-”

“It’s fine. Um do you need help with US history too? Because-” She was cut off by Romeo running into the room followed by Albert. They heard the front door slam and Jack flinched. 

“Uh, Kath. I gotta go.” He said hurriedly. He didn’t even let her say goodbye before he ended the call and shoved his phone into the front of his backpack.

Usually, if they were lucky, Snyder would neglect them. Today, they were not so lucky. The room went silent as his footsteps grew louder. The boys on the floor moved away from the door. The handle turned and everyone held their breaths as Snyder opened the door. He looked around silently, taking in the scene. They all kept their heads down, focused on their work.

“Up.” Snyder said after a few moments of agonizing silence. They all stood without hesitation and filed into a single file line, Specs in the front and Jack in the back. “Downstairs.” They all began to walk. Crutchie was in front of Jack, and of course he had trouble walking down the stairs with his crutch, so their going was a little slow. “Faster! We don’t have all day!” Snyder complained giving Jack a shove. They finally made it downstairs and stood in a single file line side by side in the living room. 

“Now,” Snyder spoke. “Who made this mess down here?” The living room was littered with beer bottles and other unidentifiable trash. They weren’t allowed in here, so none of them actually made the mess. It was just Snyder trying to find an excuse to abuse them. They all stayed silent and looked down at the ground. “Someone better fess up!”

Jack wanted to fess up to protect his siblings, but Snyder was the most violent with him, probably because he’s lived with him for years. But he looked at Albert who trembled incredibly hard (he was taken out of his family and basically put back into the same situation) and he was ready to do it. Before he could open his mouth, Romeo spoke up.

“It was me, I did it. I’m sorry.” All eyes shifted as Snyder marched over to Romeo. It was silent for a few minutes as Snyder glared at him. Then, in a sudden flash of movement, he slapped Romeo hard across the face. The sound was jarring. Romeo crumpled to the floor and no one else dared to move. 

“Well don’t just stand here! You all have a room to clean and you can thank this one here,” Snyder yelled kicking Romeo. “Be done before I get back.” He said sternly. Once he left the house, Jack rushed over to Romeo’s side.

“Why’d ya do that Romeo? Why’d ya take the blame?” Romeo didn’t respond, he only clutched Jack while he sobbed. Jack had failed. He couldn’t protect him. Jack held him until everyone Specs and Henry came back with the cleaning supplies and Albert came back with ice. Romeo held the ice over his face as the others cleaned in silence. The room was such a mess it took them until past midnight to finish cleaning. They all went to bed and Jack checked his phone.

 

Katherine: Hey are you okay? 

What could Jack say? “Yeah I’m fine, but my caretaker is neglectful, abusive and unpredictable and I didn’t want him to see you?” He settled for a simple “yeah” and headed off to bed. He couldn’t sleep well even though the events of today wore him out. Eventually he fell into a fitful sleep.  
____________________________________________________________________________  
She wasn’t at lunch despite Jack inviting her to sit with them. Maybe that was a good thing. All of them were exhausted from last night and their energy wasn’t the same. He wished she was here right now though. 

During his first free period, he went to english class to speak with Pulitzer. When he got to to english class, he saw her talking to Pulitzer in a hushed tone. She was shaking, out of anger or fear Jack didn’t know. He looked angry. He slammed his hand on his desk which caused Katherine and Jack to jump. Katherine shook her head and walked past him out the door. He decided that he didn’t need to speak with him anymore.

She wasn’t in theatre during their free period either, but the rest of his friends were. They were talking about plays they could do when Pulitzer walked into the room.

“May I help you?” Medda asked. 

“Yes. I’d like to tell you that we’re cutting the funding for theatre, and any other art.” 

Everyone gasped. Jack’s head snapped up. “There simply isn’t enough room for theatre in the budget,” He said smugly. “So if you want to do anything, you’re on your own.” 

“Excuse us a moment,” Medda said. They walked out the classroom. 

“They can’t do that,” Crutchie said nearly in tears.

“It’s his school,” Race replied.

“It’s not fair!” Romeo said exasperated. 

“No,” Sarah whispered.

Loud chatter erupted in the room, but was soon silenced when Medda walked back in the room, tears in her eyes. 

“Is it true?” Smalls asked. Medda nodded her head as the bell rang. They hesitantly shuffled out of the room, whispering about the recent decision. Jack shook his head and walked away from the group. He would think about this later, but for now he had to meet Katherine. 

He saw her in the hallway, once again talking with Pulitzer. Why wouldn’t he leave her alone? He stood back until Katherine turned away, Pulitzer still standing in the same spot. “Kath, hey Kath!” Katherine brushed past him and he followed. “Kath, we still on for Jacobi’s? I need a computer.” 

She didn’t answer until they turned down the hall, out of sight from Pulitzer. “Yeah. Ready when you are.” Jack wanted to ask about Pulitzer, but he figured that it wouldn’t help anything. Then he realized that she was shaking. She was shaking so hard she couldn’t walk straight.

“Woah, Plumber.” He said reaching out to steady her. “Do ya need ta take a seat?”

“I…” She started to respond. Her breaths started to come fast. Too fast. She started to hyperventilate. She slid down the wall and onto the ground. Her hand groped around for something and Jack took the initiative. He sat down next to her and held her hand.

“Breathe, Plumber. Breathe. Focus on that.” She’d started to calm until Pulitzer yelled at some kids in the hallway. She moved away from him and he let her. She put her face in her hands and focused on her breathing. 

When her breaths were steady and her eyes were dry, Jack asked, “What happened, Plumber?”

“He brought up Lucy,” She said with a shaky voice. “Reminded me of how she died…” Jack didn’t know why Pulitzer would know how Lucy (he assumed she was Katherine’s older sister) died and he didn’t ask. He also didn’t expect her to lean into his shoulder, but that’s exactly what she did. He sat there and let her cry, his heart breaking for this girl he’d just met.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments are appreciated!


	3. Katherine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw-mentions of sibling death and car accidents (why can't I let them be happy pt 2)

Katherine didn’t remember the conversation that sent her into a panic, and frankly she didn’t want to remember. All she knew was that the images of Lucy laying there, dying, were fresh in her mind. She didn’t want to see it. 

She also didn’t know how she ended up laying on Jack’s shoulder, but he was so comforting that she didn’t want to move at all. Eventually she stood up and they headed to Jacobi’s. Jack didn’t ask and she was grateful for that.

They arrived ad Jacobi’s a few minutes after they left school. “You want anything to eat?” Katherine asked, her voice still a bit shaky. 

“Nah,” He responded. She could sense the uncertainty in his voice, and she ordered a pizza for them to eat. She opened her laptop and handed it to him. Jack began typing away.

She watched him as he typed. His brow furrowed and his lips pursed as he tried to find the right words. He looked exhausted. She didn’t want to admit it, but she worried about him last night. She saw him flinch and then he cut off the call. He didn’t respond to her until about five hours later. Was he okay? But he didn’t pry into her life so she wouldn’t pry into his. 

She honestly would have looked at him forever (he was very handsome) if he hadn’t looked up at her. Oh man, even his eyes were beautiful. 

“Whatcha lookin’ at, Plumber?” He asked with a flirty grin.

Katherine’s cheeks warmed. “You, smartass.” Did she just flirt? Jack smiled at her before going back to his work. God, his smile was nice. The pizza had arrived long ago, but Katherine was too busy looking at Jack to eat it. 

“Alrigh’ I’m done.” He said about an hour after he’d started. He handed her laptop back to her.

“Did you email it to m-” She caught herself before continuing. “Pulitzer?” 

Jack raised an eyebrow at her in suspicion. “Yep.” He answered. 

“Do you want to take the rest of his home?” Katherine asked gesturing to the uneaten pizza. 

“Yeah the fellas will enjoy this!” Katherine noticed that he was always looking out for those boys. Jack put the pizza in a to go box and they reluctantly stood up. Jack took Katherine’s hand yet she didn’t pull away. They stood there for a while, looking at their intertwined hands. 

“Until next time,” Jack said kissing her knuckles. The spot on her hand tingled as he smiled and left Jacobi’s. Shit. This could not be happening. She could not be falling for the very boy her father had gone out of his way to make sure they stayed apart. She pulled out her phone and texted Sarah. 

Katherine: You know when you asked if I liked Jack  
Sarah: Yeah???  
Katherine: Well, I think I might  
Sarah: Wait really? Holy shit  
Katherine: Yeah. This is bad  
Sarah: Why?

Katherine debated telling her that Pulitzer was her father and he’d make Jack’s life a living hell if the two started dating. She figured that telling her would drive her away.

Katherine: I’ve never dated anyone before. I’m nervous. What if he doesn’t like me?

It wasn’t a lie.

Sarah: You think he doesn’t like you? Kath, he’s head over heels for you.  
Katherine: ???? Seriously???  
Sarah: Totally

Katherine’s heart soared. He liked her? He really liked her? It was something straight out of a movie, but Katherine wasn’t complaining. She was about to text back when she saw her father’s contact pop up on her screen. She slid over to answer it. “Hello?” She said, voice shaking.

“Home. Now.” He said sternly before hanging up. Katherine’s heart sped up, but of course she did as she was told. She arrived home half an hour after the call and sat on the couch next to her father.

“You lied to me Katherine.” He accused.

“What do you mean?” She said, trying to be brave.

Her father sighed. “I told you to not speak with those gutter rats ever again, yet you were.”

“How would you know?” Katherine asked sharply. Her father frowned at her.

“Of all the ones to speak with, why the awful Kelly boy? I mean, he shouldn’t be in the AP class anyways. He’s not smart enough.” Katherine scowled at this, frustrated that her father was still spying on her. 

“I heard that you were with him in Jacobi’s. Why?” He practically yelled the question. 

“Because, he needed a computer for his work and he didn’t have one.”

“So? That’s not your problem.”

“Father, I have the means to help people. Why shouldn’t I-”

“Because I said so!” He shouted cutting her off. Katherine flinched away from the sound of his voice. “Katherine Ethel Pulitzer, I am your father and from now on you’ll do as I say or you’ll suffer immense consequences.” He paused. “Just like Lucy.” 

“Don't.” Katherine sputtered. “It wasn’t her fault.”

“You’re right, it was that gutter rats fault. Do you want to end up like that? End up in a reckless relationship that starts out nice, but then he becomes worse bit by bit? Do you-”

“It wasn’t her fault!” Katherine yelled. “She had no way of knowing he’d get mad at her and flip the car! He wanted to die! That’s why he did it!”

“All of those vermin are exactly the same! They’ll lead you down that path as well, Katherine. I’m just trying to protect you.” Katherine shook her head willing herself to become void of all emotion. She stood up, still shaking her head and walked up to her room.

“Fuck.” She cried falling onto her bed. She missed her sister. It’s true, she hated that boy for killing himself and her, but she knew that it was in no way Lucy’s fault. He guilted her into staying, said he’d kill himself if she left. “Well, she didn’t leave and you still killed yourself! You killed her too! Are you happy!” 

She picked up her phone and facetimed Jack. He answered on the second ring. “Hey! What’s…” He trailed off when he saw her face. “Kath what’s wrong?”

“Lucy,” she sputtered out. 

“I’m here, talk away.”   
______________________________________________________________________________  
Katherine did none of her homework the previous night. She was too busy bawling her eyes out over the phone. Once again, their conversation was cut short when Jack flinched. She was so incredibly curious as to why, but she knew that it would be impolite to ask. 

The rest of her classes dragged on as usual. By the time she got to english, her eyes were drooping and she couldn’t focus on staying awake. Maybe theatre would make her feel better. She walked into the room and felt the low energy.

“What’s going on?” She whispered to Davey. 

“They’re cutting funding for the arts. All of them.”

“What?”

“Yeah. I can’t believe it either.”

“No, no.” Katherine said. “I do believe it. Pulitzer thinks that the arts are impractical. But why would he do it on the second day of school? It’s not like him to make a decision so spontaneously.” 

Davey furrowed his brow. “I guess you’d know him better than I would.” Katherine sighed at that. The rest of the class shuffled in, all looking dejected. Jack walked in seemingly deep in thought. 

“Jack, what are you thinking about?” Katherine asked daring to poke him softly. 

“Hm?” He turned and his face lit up when he saw Katherine. “Oh! A way to get the arts back.”

“Jack, I don’t think-” Davey started before he was cut off by Medda.

“Good afternoon, children! We may have been let down after the news yesterday, but we need to find a way to make this work.”

“Rights to even just a play cost a lot. And we’d need to raise a lot of money in order to put on a half decent play.”

The room was silent for a few long moments before Jack spoke up. “What if someone wrote one?” Heads turned at this. “Kath, you like to write, right?” 

Katherine’s face warmed. “Yeah, but usually it’s not fiction. I’m out of practice anyways. I haven’t written a story since-” Since Lucy died. “Yeah.”

“Well, we’d need to publish an article in the school newspaper first to make sure everyone’s on board. You’re in newspaper club, right Katherine?” Davey asked. 

“Um yeah but I-” 

“Then ya can write us an article an’ we can go from there!” 

“Hush Smalls, let her speak.”

It’s not that she didn’t want to do it, it was that she couldn’t. Her father had power over the entire school and when he found out that she had gone out of her way to defy him, he’d give her hell to pay. “I can’t.” She said her voice shaking.

A chorus of “what” and “why not” sounded throughout the room. “I wish I could explain, but I just can’t.” 

The class broke into spoken chaos at that moment, until Medda silenced them. “Hey, hey don’t push her! I’m sure there are others here who could do it as well.” 

“Nah I read all the school papers an’ no one writes good as Plumber here,” Albert retorted. All eyes shifted to Katherine who just shook her head without meeting anyone’s eyes. She didn’t miss the sighs of disappointment coming from all around her. She looked up, and the look on Jack’s face almost made her regret her decision. He looked absolutely shattered. She asked to be excused early and Medda let her go with an understanding look in her eye. 

Later that night, she decided to try something new, writing a fiction story. She moved the pencil across the page, opening doors to a world she never even knew existed. She had written about a fictional adventure her and Lucy would have gone on if Lucy was still alive. It was then she realized that writing was something she needed. As she reread her work, she saw Lucy’s smile, heard her laugh, felt her hand clasped into hers, heard her voice, smelled her perfume and saw the sparkle in her eye. Lucy lived and breathed on this page. 

Lucy would also tell her to stop being afraid of her father, and to take a chance. “You’re only young once.” She would say. “Better make it last forever.”

Katherine picked up her phone and texted Davey, Jack and Sarah.

Katherine: Hey I think I changed my mind  
Davey: ???  
Sarah: Sweet!  
Katherine: I’ll write the article. And the play.  
Davey: !!!!  
Sarah: Amazing! I’ll help if you need me. I can write and play music if we wanna get fancy and make it a musical or something.  
Katherine: Sounds great! 

“Luce, I promise you, I’ll stay young forever.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments are appreciated


	4. Jack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Snyder can choke

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tw child abuse, blood

“Piece of shit,” Snyder cursed at him. This day had not gone too good for Jack. Katherine wouldn’t write the newspaper article advocating for the rights of the arts, and on top of that he didn’t even get to talk to her today. She was special. She made his day brighter even on the darkest. 

Now Snyder was beating the shit out of him (for what he didn’t know). He put his hands over his head and curled into fetal position to protect himself from the blows. “Can’t blame your parents for abandoning you. I would have if the state wasn’t paying me for this.” Jack tried not to let tears fall down his cheeks. If Snyder caught you crying, he’d do whatever he was doing to you but make it ten times worse.

He didn’t know how long he was on the floor, but when he got up, Snyder had left. “Jack! Are you okay?” Race came running into the room. Jack didn’t answer as Race helped him up and got him to the bathroom. Race took a cold washcloth and pressed it against Jack’s arm. He hadn’t even noticed he was bleeding. “You’s gonna have a black eye,” Race said concernedly. 

“I’ll be okay.”

“But the school will ask questions. They’ll find out about how we’re livin’ and then they’ll separate all of us! So even if we were put into a worse care system, we couldn’t protect each other.”

“Racer, they ain’t gonna notice. If they do they ain’t gonna care. Remember freshman year? When I was covered in bruises and no one but Medda said a word?” Race sighed and stuck a large band aid on Jack’s still bleeding cut before enveloping him into a bone crushing hug.   
“Be careful, Jackie.” He said leaving the bathroom.

“I will.” Once he left, Jack pulled out his phone to see a few missed texts from Davey, Sarah and Katherine. 

Katherine: Hey I think I changed my mind  
Davey: ???  
Sarah: Sweet!  
Katherine: I’ll write the article. And the play.  
Davey: !!!!  
Sarah: Amazing! I’ll help if you need me. I can write and play music if we wanna get fancy and make it a musical or something.  
Katherine: Sounds great! 

Jack smiled. This was the first bit of good news he’d gotten today. Taking a risk, he facetimed Katherine. She picked up on the first ring. He tilted the camera away from his face. “Jack! Hi! I guess you got the texts.”

“Yeah, that’s great! What made ya change your mind?” 

She smiled. “Lucy.” Jack smiled back.  
They chatted for a while, both of them vaguely talking about their childhoods. He could talk to her for hours if-

The bathroom door slammed open revealing Snyder on the other side. Jack didn’t even say goodbye to Katherine, who was now concernedly saying his name, he just ended the call and shoved his phone in his pocket.

“Boy, get over here!” Snyder yelled grabbing Jack by his hair and flinging him to the ground. Jack resumed fetal position as Snyder took his anger out on him. God, he couldn’t wait to leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments are appreciated


	5. Katherine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tw: injuries, mentioned transphobia

Katherine told herself she wouldn’t pry, but after last night she couldn’t help it. All she heard was a man yelling and the fear in Jack’s eyes was enough to make her skin crawl. She had texted him to meet her over by Medda’s room as early as possible. She couldn’t sleep anyways so she decided to get to school as early as possible. 

She’d been waiting in Medda’s room for the past hour while Medda sat at her desk doing work. The clock read 7:30 when Jack walked in. Well, he didn’t walk in. More like he hobbled in. Katherine gasped.

He had a black eye and bruised knuckles. His lip was busted and he had a huge bandaid on his right arm. Even then it didn’t cover the entire wound. Katherine could see dried blood from where she was sitting. Every step he took, he looked like he was in pain. “Jack!” She cried rushing over to him. “What happened!?” Jack just shook his head.

Medda raised her head to greet him with a smile but it quickly faded when she saw the state he was in. “Oh, Jack honey not again.” She whispered. Again?

“Jack. Tell me what’s going on.” Katherine said forcefully.

“I can’t,” he responded shrugging. His left shoulder moved way higher than his right. Katherine took his hand in hers and studied his knuckles. The bruises were much darker than she thought. He winced a bit when she took his hand but he didn’t pull away. 

Katherine sat and wondered what happened. “Was it the Delancy’s?” She asked. The Delancy’s were the schools biggest bullies and they would harass anyone, even her, the principal's daughter. They never faced any kind of repercussions for their actions anyways. Jack shook his head. 

“I wish it was. It’d make everything easier.” Confused Katherine turned to Medda who was now rubbing his back. She just shook her head. Katherine continued to think. Every thought imaginable raced through her head. Yet she missed the most obvious one. When she finally came to the conclusion, her eyes widened as she cupped Jack’s face in her hands.

“Jack, you have to tell someone that this is happening! That man, your caretaker or whoever he is can’t keep hurting you like this!” Katherine’s voice was thick with tears.  
“Kath, I can’t say anythin’. It ain’t gonna help.” 

“There has to be a way…” Jack shook his head again.

“You know, he broke my shoulder a few years back. Saw me drawin’ and makin’ the kids happy in that damned miserable place. Then crack. It ain’t ever been the same since. Makes it harder to fight back.”

Katherine took all of this in. She wanted to do something. She needed to do something. He looked so scared and small. But what could she do? “All of you?” She asked hesitantly. 

“Yeah. Romeo got slapped across the face the other day. Racer almost died this summer. Snyder found out he was bindin’ and started callin’ him nasty slurs and deadnamin’ him. He got beat to the point where he was almost dead. Specs, Albert and I had to fight him off and we ended up pretty bad.” 

Katherine frowned at the story, but the name Snyder sounded all too familiar. “Snyder?” She asked. “As in the Snyder who owns the bar near here?”

“I guess yeah.” Katherine shuddered. Her father worked with him and still does whenever he needs something, or someone for the night. He was creepy, but now she knew he hurt Jack and all those other boys. He was downright evil. She wanted Medda to say or do something, but she realized that she couldn’t. If Snyder worked with her father and she tried to tell, Jack would surely end up dead. Even with the police, they’d probably blame it on Oscar and Morris who’d probably get nothing more than a slap on the wrist. 

Without thinking, Katherine enveloped Jack into a hug. Medda had left the room to get more bandages. She’d leaned in to look at his eye carefully yet he looked away. Before she knew it, she was close. He was close. They were so close to each other, she could smell the mint on his breath. Suddenly she was overcome with a desire he was so close and her heart was racing. Before she knew it, her lips were on his. She kissed him. And he kissed her back. All too soon, she pulled away. Jack leaned in for another kiss but she put her hand up on his chest to stop him.

“Promise me you’ll be as careful as possible?” She asked him. Jack nodded slowly.

“I’ll try, but I’d do anythin’ to protect my brothers and sister.” Katherine nodded in understanding (Lucy was the same way ) before leaning forward to kiss him again. 

She placed her hands on his cheeks and felt that his face was wet. He kissed her harder. This was so wrong, yet Katherine didn’t care. He was here, she was there and they were kissing. Her heart soared as he pulled her closer and buried his face in her hair.

“I care about you, Jack. I want you and your siblings to be safe.”

“I care about you too, Kath. And I guess we want the same thing.” He said, tears slipping down his face. Katherine wiped them off and enveloped him into another hug. They didn’t let go for a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to tumblr user(s) @newsiesquare for the shoulder headcannon
> 
> Thanks for reading! Kudos and comments are appreciated


	6. October

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! School's starting soon so you might not hear from me in a while, so I'll try my best to have a few chapters beforehand but I can't promise anything

Sarah smiled at Katherine as she sang another note. She’d really come a long way since the first day of school, she would have never sang in front of anyone else. She sang a song about love. In the musical Sarah wrote, Katherine and Sarah would be playing love interests in order to spite her father. It was easy to sing this song with a lot of emotion. Every time she sang it, she thought of Jack. Not much else had happened since their moment nearly two months ago, and Katherine was disappointed. Well, they would go out for coffee dates and hold hands sometimes, but nothing else.

“Can we break? We’ve been at this for hours.”

“Sure,” Sarah responded scooting off the piano bench as Katherine followed suit. Katherine picked up her bottle of water and moved to the living room where Davey was helping Les with math homework. 

“So, you and Jack huh?”

Katherine groaned and put her face in her hands. “Oh my god Sarah. Not this again.” 

“So?” Sarah asked expectantly wiggling her eyebrows. 

“No, there’s nothing going on between us right now. But I like him. A lot.”

“You’re in love?”

“No!” Katherine said smacking Sarah in the arm. “No way.”

“Okay, okay. So what do you like about him?” 

Katherine thought for a moment. “He’s kind. Like genuinely kind. He takes care of his siblings even if it means he gets hurt in the process.” Katherine shuddered remembering his bruises that day. “And when you’re with him, he makes it feel like you matter. He’s got your back, he won’t let you down. And I love that about him.” Sarah’s eyes widened. 

“Aha! You DO love him!” 

“Noooo!” The two dissolved into giggles on the living room floor.

“Anything else?” Sarah asked when she had recovered from her laughing fit. 

“He’s attractive?” Davey offered, looking up from Les. 

“That helps,” Katherine responded smiling. 

Sarah and katherine continued to talk about Jack and his charm and handsomeness. Neither of the girls was aware of Davey’s jealous stare as he sadly looked on. 

“Yuck,” Les said before standing up to get a snack. Katherine and Sarah continued to laugh. Davey offered a weak smile.

“C’mon Kath. We need to finish this song before class on Monday.”  
______________________________________________________________________________  
Ever since he met Jack, he was head over heels for him. The two were best friends now, and all he talked about was Katherine. He didn’t hate her though, he just wanted to be her. He was happy for them and they deserved each other.They were both kind, passionate people and Davey was just...Davey. He wasn’t anything special. He knew that’s why Jack didn’t like him. It’s not like he couldn’t, the dude was bi. He just didn’t and Davey wished that it was okay with him. 

God he wanted to hold hands with him and go out for coffee dates like Katherine did. God he wanted to be her. But for now, he was just Davey. And Davey wasn’t enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so Kath and Jack are bi, Sarah's a lesbian and Davey is gay
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks for reading! Comments and Kudos are appreciated!


	7. Katherine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW car accident, Death mention, Death, hospitals

December 31st was never a good time for Katherine. That day would always have a horrible memory attached to it. So when Jack asked her to go out with him to watch the ball drop, she politely declined. He then offered to come over and relax with her instead, but she shut that down fast. He still didn’t know that Pulitzer was her father and she knew she should tell him, but she wasn’t worried about that right now. 

Two years ago today marked the worst day of her life. It started out normal and whatnot. Lucy and her boyfriend Logan had offered to bring her along to a New Years party and Katherine agreed. They hadn’t been there for long when Lucy expressed that she wanted to go into times square, but Logan was already kind of high.

“You know what? Me and Kathy are just gonna walk there, okay Logan?” She had said. “Call someone to take you home. I don’t want you driving like that.” Lucy and Katherine turned away but they were stopped when Logan grabbed Lucy’s wrist.

“Uh uh. You’re staying with me baby.” He said twisting her into a hug. She grimaced at the smell of pot and tobacco on his breath.

“I love you too, Logan but I’ve gotta look out for Kathy here.”

“Fuck her!” He yelled. “I don’t give a shit about her! She’s always getting in the way of us!” Katherine shifted uncomfortably. “Look, we’re gonna drop her off at your house and then we’re gonna spend the rest of the night together, okay?” He tried to pull Lucy in for a kiss but she put her hand up to stop him. 

“That’s sweet of you, Logan. Really. But no thanks.” Lucy said wiggling her way out of his arms and taking Katherine’s hand. “Let’s go, Kathy.” Katherine wished that that was the end of the night. But unfortunately that was not the case. 

Logan grabbed Lucy’s wrist again and wouldn’t let go no matter what she did. He practically dragged her through the streets as she kept trying to pry him off, causing a scene. People starred, unsure of whether to help or not. “I’d suggest you stop that, love.” He said threateningly. Lucy gave up and let him drag her through the city.

They finally reached his car and Katherine reluctantly slid into the backseat. She barely had time to buckle before he pulled off into the streets. He was driving too fast, and he wasn’t paying enough attention. “Logan, can you please stop the car and let us out?” Lucy asked, panic raising into her voice. “Or at least let Kathy out?” 

“No!” He yelled, slamming his hand on the wheel. “You two are the most ungrateful brats I’ve ever met! You know what I have to do? I have to work for everything I get! While you princesses have people waiting on you hand and foot!” He spat.

“Logan, baby watch the road please-”

“You don’t tell me what to do Lucille!” The car swerved and Katherine tensed. Lucy reached her hand around the seat and Katherine shakily took it. “Look Lucille, Katherine. I know y’all want me dead. I know you see me and think I’m nothin’ but a gutter rat.” He spat. “And well,” he said turning off the main road. “Your wish came true. Too bad you’re comin’ with me.” He jerked the wheel. 

“Logan!” Lucy cried letting go of Katherine’s hand and reaching out to the wheel to try and steady the car. Everything went black.  
______________________________________________________________________________  
Katherine awoke to muffled voices and bright lights. Her head and body hurt like hell. What’s going on? She thought, unable to remember why she was here. Slowly, everything came into focus and a nurse approached her.

“Hi, honey.” She said sweetly. Katherine didn’t respond. The only thing that was on her mind was Lucy. She yanked the thin sheets back and tried to stand, but her legs wobbled and her head started to spin. 

“Easy, Katherine.” Came a deep voice. She looked up to see her father standing on one side of the room, and her mother, distraught, on the other. Her father didn’t even try to comfort her. Maybe their marriage was worse than she thought.

“Lucy.” She managed to sputter out. “How is she?” Nobody answered her. She looked at each of the faces. Her mother's tear stained eyes and puffy face, her father’s stony expressionless one, and the nurses, full of pity. “Logan?” She asked. 

“Unfortunately, he died on impact sweetie.” The nurse answered. Katherine pinched the bridge of her nose and nodded.

“Lucy?” She tried again. Her tongue felt like lead. 

“Honey, it’s a miracle you made it out without any major injuries-” Her mother started.

“You’re not answering my question,” Katherine snapped. “Lucy. How is she?” 

The nurse looked to her father who nodded his head. The nurse inhaled before beginning, “She’s in critical condition Miss Pulitzer. She’s already been through all the surgeries we could give her, and there’s nothing left to do but wait and hope.”

“Oh.” Katherine said. Her world felt like it stopped. “Can I see her? Please?” The nurse looked to her father who once again, nodded his head. The nurse led her to a wheelchair and wheeled her down the bright hall, her mind completely blank. She was wheeled into Lucy’s room and placed by her bed. “Luce…” She whispered seeing the state her sister was in. Everything was bloody and bruised, she had stitches everywhere. She was quiet and still. Katherine didn’t recognize her. 

She turned to the nurse. “This isn’t my sister,” she said firmly. The nurse gave her another pitiful look before leaving her alone. “Luce.” She said again, gingerly taking a hand. It was silent for several minutes.

“Kathy…” Katherine jumped at the sound of her name. She looked down to see Lucy speaking to her. “Kathy, everything hurts.” A tear rolled down her cheek. “I’m sorry Kathy.” Lucy sobbed.

“Why are you sorry?”

“For staying with him. I was gonna leave, honest. What-what happened to him?”

Katherine swallowed. “He’s dead. Died on impact.”

“Oh.” Lucy said. It was silent for a few more minutes. “Listen Kathy. Do yourself a favor and find someone who’s good for you. Someone who makes your heart sing. Someone who truly loves you and isn’t using you for their benefit.”

“I promise,” Katherine said her voice thick with tears.

“Good. It should take no time at all. You’ve always been the cuter sister.” Katherine gave a tight smile. Lucy tired to chuckle, but the motion sent her into pain so she stopped.

“Look Kathy, this is it for me.”

“What?! Don’t say that!”

“I’m not messing around. Everything hurts. I’m not even sure if I can move. If I live, I’ll be in pain for the rest of my short life. I don’t wanna give you that hope, that I could live longer and fully recover. I won’t. I’d rather die now and not fight it.”

“No. Lucy. You’re not gonna die. You’ll be okay, yeah?” Katherine’s bottom lip quivered as she tried to hold herself together. 

“Katherine.” Lucy responded. “I know this is hard on you, but this is it okay?” Katherine didn’t say anything. And they sat there for a while, holding each others hand, each of them praying for a different fate. Katherine didn’t believe it. She wouldn’t believe it. She couldn’t believe that here sister was dying. She didn’t until Lucy reached out to her face. 

“Kathy, my heart. Stay young forever okay? Don’t let dad boss you around.”

“Shhh,” Katherine said seeing how every word caused Lucy pain. 

“Love you.” She choked out. 

“I love you too.” Katherine said, tears falling freely. Lucy gave a ghost of a smile and then...that was it.

She heard the long dull sound indicating that she wasn’t asleep. This was it. The end of Lucy’s life. Katherine thought she screamed but she didn’t remember. Everything went silent as she fell to the ground mourning for her sister. The nurse came back in and tried to move her out of the room but Katherine rushed back over to Lucy’s side, begging for her to wake up. Eventually, the nurse dragged Katherine out of the room, unfazed by her hysteria. She took her back to her parents. Her mother was bawling her eyes out and her father looked pale. The bright lights and pitying looks from the nurses was too much. Everything went black.

The funeral happened three days after the fact. Katherine didn’t remember most of it. Her mother ended things with her father two days after the funeral and left, leaving Katherine all alone. She tried texting Darcy, her one friend but he never responded. She felt as if she was falling, falling, falling…  
______________________________________________________________________________  
Katherine awoke to the sound of her phone ringing. It was Jack. “Hello?” She said wiping tears from her eyes. 

“Kath, what’s wrong?” 

She sighed. “It’s been a rough night. It’s good to hear your voice though.”

“Yours too. Hey Dave’s folks and brother out outta town and Sarah an’ Davey wanted us to spend the night at their place.” 

“What about Syder?” Katherine asked. They’d gotten so close it was easy to ask and talk about these kinds of topics. 

“It’s New Years. He won’t be back for another three days at least.” He chuckled darkly. “Spot can pick ya up.”

“No! It’s okay. I...I don’t like cars.”

Silence. “Oh shit. I’m so sorry Kath.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll take a train. I’m on my way.”  
______________________________________________________________________________  
An hour later and 2 in the morning, Katherine fell into Jack’s arms and breathed in his scent. He smelled like rosemary. “You okay?” He asked tenderly ushering her into Davey and Sarah’s house. They walked away from the noise in the living room and went into the pantry.

“Two years. About three hours ago. The car crash that killed my sister and traumatized me.” Jack said nothing. He just held her. Katherine realized that this was the first time she really talked to anyone about it, and it made her feel...better in a way. Was she taking Lucy’s advice? Was Jack that person for her? “I’m okay, I promise.” She reassured him. Suddenly, he bent down and kissed her. Her heart picked up speed. Katherine had been waiting for this for forever. Jack pulled away, and she smiled.

“Damn Kath. I think I love you. It hurts me to see you hurting and I wish I could make it all better for you. But I can’t. You know what I can do though?” He asked, a twinkle in his eye.

“What?” 

“Be a caring and supportive boyfriend.” 

Katherine blinked for a second before processing what he had said. After doing so, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him again and again and again. He slid his hand into hers and they made their way to the living room to join their friends. Maybe New Years would make her smile again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise the actual plot starts after this.
> 
> Comments are appreciated!


	8. Jack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'ALL I'm so sorry for this trash chapter but school is insane and i'm so tired. But I really missed this story so here we are. Enjoy!

Jack awoke to hear his girlfriends (his girlfriends!) voice floating from the other room. He stretched his body out, sore from having slept on the floor, trying to keep quiet since everyone else was still asleep. 

“...don’t say that!” Jack frowned. She sounded upset. He quietly got up and pressed his ear against the door. He could hear everything clearly now. “Father, he’s not like Logan. You know that!” A beat. Then a tearful, “No.” More silence. “Father-” She tried again before she was cut off. “Yes. I know. I apologize. Of course. See you soon.” Jack backed away from the door as Katherine came out of it.

“Oh, hey. You’re up.” She said wiping tears from her face.

“Yeah.” Jack responded. “So, your pops givin’ you a hard time?”

Katherine frowned. “Understatement. Look, I’ve gotta leave. He wants me home now.”

“I can go with ya,” Jack said hoping she wouldn’t turn him down. She thought about it for a few moments.

“Okay. But only part way. My father...he isn’t happy about me dating anyone.” 

“I don’t mean to be rude, but why’d ya tell him? If you knew he’d react like this?” 

Katherine frowned. “I didn’t,” she shrugged. Jack decided not to question it any further. He debated waking Davey up to tell him they were leaving but he decided against it. He’d just text him later. He slipped his hand into Katherine’s and they walked out the door. 

Katherine was extremely quiet during their walk. “Hey,” Jack said lightly bumping her shoulder. “What’s up?” Katherine put her face in her hands and sighed.

“It’s just-God, it feels so stupid to be upset about this, when we both know you have it way worse and you hardly complain.”

Jack frowned. “Kath, baby. It’s okay to complain. We all got our struggles. It ain’t a competition.”

“Ugghhh,” She groaned. “It’s just...my dad and I, we don’t have the best relationship and I’m pretty sure he hates me?” The last part sounded like a question. “Anyways, it doesn’t matter. It’s fine.” Jack didn’t want to push her right now so instead he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and kissed her goodbye once they reached their stop.

Jack was honestly happier then he had ever been. He danced into Snyder’s home and was shocked to receive a hard blow to his head.

“Boy, where were you!” He yelled, yanking Jack to his feet by his hair. “Where’s the little girl, too?” 

“Race,” Jack corrected through gritted teeth. Snyder laughed and Jack realized that he was still drunk. Jack let out a strangled gasp when Snyder moved his hands from his hair to his throat. 

“Listen, boy.” He growled. “I heard you’ve been talking to people outside of this household. I know you’ve told them things.” Jack tried to fight back but Snyder pressed down on his throat. Jack felt his heart begin to race. “Oh, and that little whore you’re running around with?” Jack growled angrily and attempted to swat at Snyder. He was of course, unsuccessful. Snyder just laughed. 

“Well, I know her daddy and he’s a man of very high standing.” He pressed harder and leaned closer, the smell of alcohol making Jack’s eyes water. “I could have you gone so fast, boy. I claim you did something to her and then you’re gone, just like that.”

“You’re worth nothing, boy.” Snyder hissed, spraying spit into Jack’s face. “Nothing but a couple of dollars anyways. One day you’ll see boy. One day.” With that, he let go of Jack and walked out of the door. Jack crumpled to the ground and began to cry.

Was he nothing? Did Katherine really not care about him at all? Was she apart of Snyder’s scheme to get rid of him? Could he trust her? Could he fully trust anyone? Did she love him? These questions raced through his head a mile a minute, yet there was no way to find any answers. He lay on the floor and wept, but he gathered himself before his brothers got home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments are appreciated!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> BOY HOWDY IT SURE HAS BEEN A HOT MINUTE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for: dead-naming, slurs, implied suicidal thoughts

Katherine noticed that Jack had been distant from her for the past week. He wouldn’t answer her calls or respond to her messages. When they were together, he was always looking over his shoulder as if someone were watching him. Was he alright? 

Katherine pondered these questions as she walked through the frozen courtyard breathing in the January air. She hadn’t seen Jack at all today, not even in english. Did her father do something to him? She sighed and moved to take another step forward when two, unfriendly familiar faces stopped her.

“Hello, Miss. Pulitzer,” Oscar said mockingly.

“Where’s your little boyfriend?” Morris chimed in. Hope he’s dead. It would be just what the bastard deserved.” 

It was common knowledge around the school that Morris and Oscar attempted to beat Jack into a bloody pulp, but he was too quick and strong for the both of them. Katherine figured they never got over that incident.

Katherine huffed and attempted to walk around them, but Oscar stepped in her way. “He deserves to die,” he said leaning into Katherine’s face. “Just like your bitch of a sister.” 

Katherine’s head snapped up.”Don’t,” she said, a warning edge to her voice. The brothers laughed, pleased that they had irked her. Morris cracked his knuckles. 

“Your daddy might appreciate us knockin’ some sense into ya.” Katherine rolled her eyes attempting to appear annoyed. “Ya know like we did with Alice.” 

Katherine narrowed her eyes. “Who the hell is Alice?” 

Oscar smirked. “Ya know, the ‘he-she’.” Katherine sucked in a breath.

“Race,” she corrected angrily. “Anthony.” 

“Same thing. Oh! Say Morris, what’d we do to the little asian freshman?”

“Why we beat his ass, that’s what we did.”

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Katherine hissed. “What gives you the right to bully these kids?”

They took a menacing step towards her. “Your daddy.” 

“What?” Katherine demanded.  
“You know how your daddy feels about that group. He’s promised us full rides to City University if we work for him. So, little girl. Better watch out from now on. Anything your daddy asks, we ain’t gonna turn it down.” With that they backed away and left her alone. 

Katherine sat down on the bench, their bench, and placed a hand to her forehead trying to process all of this. Were they just flaunting, or did her father really put them up to this? Were Race and Romeo okay? Who was next? Her? Sarah? David? Jack? Crutchie? The bell rang and people began to stream out of the doors. Soon the courtyard was flooded with teens. 

She had to go and find Jack, and she didn’t care about her father’s consequences. New Years Day, Katherine had gotten home and her father demanded she come home directly after school and not speak to any of her friends ever again or so help him. She’d agreed, of course but she never really meant it. She didn’t know what hell she’d have to pay when she finally got home, but she didn’t dwell on it. Instead she stood and pushed her way through the crowded courtyard and onto the sidewalk of the city to begin her search.   
……………………  
He hated himself. He’d left her all alone wondering in the dust. Sure, maybe she was confused as to where he’d gone but in the end, she wouldn’t care. Do it, coward. He thought to himself, perched upon an old abandoned building. It was far from the highest in the city but it was high enough. 

He stared at the people rushing about their lives on the street below and sighed. He could only dream of living a normal life. Unfortunately all of that was too far gone. The dreams of a normal life died along with his parents.

“Qué estoy haciendo,” He mumbled in his native language. Why was he up here? The boys needed him! If nobody else needed or wanted him, his brothers and Smalls did. Or maybe they’d be better off without him. He leaned forward.

“Jack,” came a soft, winded voice. 

He started and turned to see Katherine. His Katherine. “Kath,” he breathed. The tears began to flow. She reached out her hand and he took it, moving away from the edge. 

“Your pops is gonna kill ya,” Jack said noting the time, feeling guilty for making her come all the way up to the top of this building. 

“That doesn’t matter,” Katherine said pulling him for a kiss. “I missed you so much Jack Kelly.” She mumbled into his hair. “You mean the entire world to me and I need you here.” 

Jack enveloped her into a bear hug, taking in her warmth, afraid that if he let go, she’d slip away from him. See how fucked up he really was and get scared.

“What happened to you?” Katherine asked not pulling away.

Jack tried to explain the happenings of New Year's Day without crying anymore but once he got to the end of the story he was blubbering, as he would describe himself, like an idiot. 

“Babe,” Katherine soothed. “Don’t you dare listen to a word that man has to say. He wants you to feel awful so you can be used as a pawn in his game. If you stay as determined as possible, you’ll be out of there by the time he’s figured you out.”

“But I’m scared you don’t love me, because I’m too fucked up to understand what love is!” He sobbed, revealing his true worries for the first time. “And that I’m not enough.” Those last words were barely a whisper.

Katherine jerked back and cupped his face in her hands. “Jack Kelly, you are my everything. My world. You are more than enough. I love you to pieces and I don’t ever wanna see you go. And if me not needing you is enough, your siblings need you more than ever,” Katherine said remembering the brother’s words with a shudder. “And Jack Kelly, you know what love is better than anyone else. Who else would take a hit just to protect their siblings? Who else would risk life and limb to make them smile. Who puts everything on the line for a girl who’s also too fucked up to really understand love? You do.” She kissed him again. “And don’t worry, we’ll figure out this love thing together.”

“For sure?” Jack sniffled, a small smile playing on his lips.

“For sure.” Katherine responded smiling. “C’mon babe,” she said standing up. “You must be freezing with no coat. Let’s go somewhere warm.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy! Comments and Kudos are appreciated. For those of you who are still here, thank you!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning; blood, suicide ment, descriptions of abuse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm alive, see? Next chapter will be some fluff by the way.

“Thank you for coming,” Pulitzer said, pulling up a chair for Snyder. “My daughter’s been running around with those rats you look after.” 

Snyder hummed and took a sip of his tea. “The Kelly boy specifically?” 

“Yes, that one.” Pulitzer said in disgust. “I already have Oscar and Morris on the prowl for me.”

“So what do you need me for?” Snyder asked. 

“Well-” Pulitzer began. But he was cut off by the sound of the front door slamming. “Katherine! So good to finally see you home!” He exclaimed. 

Katherine, with puffy eyes and tear stained cheeks stopped in her tracks looking back and forth from Snyder to her father, not saying a word.

“Now, Katherine. Don’t be rude. Introduce yourself.”

“I’m Mr. Snyder,” Snyder said shaking Katherine’s hand. He was too close and his grip was too tight. “But you can just call me sir.” He said in a low voice. 

“No,” Katherine said forcefully, yanking her hand out of his grip. She didn’t miss the flash of anger behind his eyes. 

“Katherine, have a seat.” Her father urged. Snyder grabbed her by the arm, and led her to an open seat; Lucy’s old seat. “You’re home late today. Can you tell me the reason?”

Katherine realized she couldn’t tell him anything, not with Snyder right here, in her house. What would Jack get if Snyder knew where he was? Katherine’s hands began to sweat. “A friend needed help,” She said dryly.

“Help with what?” He father asked coldly. 

Katherine began to shake. “Help with homework,” she said her voice quiet.

“Speak up dear,” Snyder urged his voice oozing with false sweetness.

“Help with homework,” She repeated. 

“Mhm. Who?” Her father asked. She didn’t answer. “Katherine. Who?!” He said, slamming his hands on the table causing her to jump. Her heart rate sped up.

“My friend Sarah!” She spat. 

Her father glared before gesturing to Snyder. “Mr. Snyder, if you will. Tell her about the Kelly boy’s past.” 

“Oh yes,” Snyder said leaning back in his chair. “Jack Kelly was always a troublesome one. From the moment I took him in, he continued to be ungrateful. The boy was abandoned by his parents, so that’s all he knows, dear. He’ll do the same to you.”

“No,” Katherine said her eyes filling with tears. She knew her Jack. She knew he wouldn’t ever abandon her or his siblings.

“Yes dear,” Snyder hissed. “He constantly engaged in dangerous and risky behaviors such as fighting, smoking, stealing and drinking. He’s known to physically harm the other boys and girls that live with him, hence why they come to school covered in bruises and cuts. Of course, we can’t let him get away with it, we have to fight back,” Snyder said answering the question on Katherine’s mind: What about him?

Katherine was aghast.

“It’s better if you leave him be, darling. Wouldn’t want that rat messing up your pretty little face,” Snyder said with a sickening smile. 

“You bastard.” Katherine whispered. 

“Excuse me?” Pulitzer asked.

“Bastard!” Katherine yelled catching the men off guard. “I’m not fucking stupid,” She spat. “I know what you do to them. I know those cuts and scars are from brass knuckles and whips. I know the cut below alberts eye is when you smashed a glass bottle into his face. I know Jack’s shoulder doesn’t sit right because you broke it. I know you beat Crutchie with his own fucking crutch! I know you almost killed Race this summer. You’re the rat! You’re the monster! Not him! Not my Jack.” 

“Are you done?” Her father asked, annoyed. Katherine stared at him in shock. Did that mean nothing to him?

“Unfortunately you fell for his lies honey. But don’t worry, I can help you.”

“I don’t want your help.”

Snyder ignored her. “I wouldn’t worry too much. He should be gone soon enough.”

“What do you mean?” Katherine asked, regretfully intrigued. 

“The boy hates himself. Rightfully so. Shouldn’t be long until he puts a bullet in his head.” Snyder laughed. Katherine’s anger boiled over. She snatched the tea Snyder was drinking and tossed the contents of the cup onto him. She threw the glass aside, satisfied when it shattered. 

It was silent for a moment. “You made a new enemy today, little lady.” Snyder said in a low voice. 

Katherine was too angry to be afraid. “Get out of my house.”

“Of course, princess.” Snyder spat. Katherine cringed hearing the echo of Logan’s words. “Until next time,” Snyder said as he walked out the door. 

Katherine and her father sat in silence for a few moments before Katherine stood up to head to her room. She was stopped by her father who grabbed her arm tight. She winced in pain. Pulitzer twisted her arm so she was facing him. It was silent for a moment until her reared back and slapped her. Hard. The force of the slap knocked Katherine over, and she fell into the glass, cutting her arms.

“How dare you speak to your superiors that way!” He father yelled pulling her up by the arms. She yelled in pain. “Why can’t you just obey me Katherine, just OBEY!”

“I’m tired of you controlling my life! I never got to be a kid, or a teen and I’m through with letting you take my whole life away from me!” She pulled her arms out of his grip leaving her blood on her father's hands.

“I’m doing this to help you! All of this is for your own fucking good!” He stepped back and regained his composure. “You will never see him again, do you understand me?” 

“I’m afraid I don’t,” Katherine said walking away from her father. She swore she could hear Lucy cheering her on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and Kudos are appreciated


	11. Update! (Will delete)

Heyo so, School is bad. I'm super tired but I miss this story SO much. I have the next chapter halfway done though. SO once I get the time and energy to write It'll be up! <3

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments motivate me


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